


Finding Taeyong [NCT]

by Lamp23456



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: 5th floor cuteness, Aquariums, Cooking, Cute, Diving, Doyoung - Freeform, Dreams, Fish, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Johnny - Freeform, Oneshot, Swimming, haechan - Freeform, nct - Freeform, nct 127, soft, taeyong - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27531337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamp23456/pseuds/Lamp23456
Summary: Taeyong's reoccurring dream sends Doyoung on a mission to make it come true.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Kudos: 27





	Finding Taeyong [NCT]

It was early morning when Taeyong awoke, startled from the deep sleep he’d been under. He rolled from his blanket cocoon and sat up before falling to the ground. He scratched his head, observing his dimly lit room and the small blubs of bubbles from the fish tank he’d set up not long ago. The snails were playing with the bubbles as usual, shooting off as if they were riding a roller coaster.

Stretching his arms, Taeyong let out a big yawn as he slid on his slippers, standing. He walked over to the little aquarium and looked inside, staring at the little fishes swimming around. A smile adorned his face, reflecting from the glass. He lightly poked the tank, enjoying the small ecosystem he’d created. He stepped away, going to his closet and taking out his clothes for the day. Some grey track pants and a sweater, he liked them in V-neck style.

After changing, he went into the kitchen, hoping there’s be food ready. His head was all over the place. He couldn't think well, after that dream. It’d been reoccurring, but he couldn’t understand why. He shook his head, unsure if he should even think about it for how bizarre it was. Taeyong entered the kitchen but was sad to see a note on the table, explaining the lady’s absence. Sighing, he looked around and went to the fridge.

There were eggs, milk, and some drops of soju in a bottle that was in front of an unopened bottle. The side dishes were neatly stacked and accordingly labelled, set to the left side of the fridge. Drinks were neatly placed along the bottom. He reached in and pulled out the various side dishes and ingredients for eggs. He went to the rice cooker and checked inside, happy to feel the steam against his skin. These were perfect for a rice bowl with eggs, some spinach, maybe even a little soya sauce seasoning. Something sweet too? There was frozen fruit, but there was also some pickled radish.

He chopped the radish into slices, placing them along with the other side dishes. Then he began working with the wok, lightly seasoning the eggs and leaving them sunny-side-up. After taking the eggs out, he threw the spinach in with some sesame oil, sautéing it before taking it all out. As he turned, he saw Johnny and Haechan stumble in, taking in the sweet scents of a freshly cooked breakfast.

“Woah…” Haechan licked his lips.  
“You’ve done it again.” Johnny smiled, glancing at all the food Taeyong had prepared. Him and Haechan sat down, getting ready to eat the egg and rice bowls. Johnny placed some of the spinach on his bowl with some kimchi. Haechan grabbed the seasoned squid and some seaweed. He sprinkled some sesame seeds on top and a little bit of gochujang.  


Taeyong blushed, nodding his head. He peered behind the two, hoping to see his best friend Doyoung there, but he wasn’t. He placed the ready food onto the table and waited a moment, watching the archway into the kitchen for Doyoung, but still, nothing. He strode out to Doyoung’s room and knocked on the door. He heard a grumble and took that as an invitation to open the door.

Upon entering, he found his best friend tangled in his huge comforter. His hair was slicked back in various directions, taking the form of a rickshaw test. Groggy-eyed, he sat up and stared at Taeyong. He rubbed his eyes softly, his shoulders slumped down from fatigue. Taeyong sat on the bed beside him, patting the blanket down.

“I made breakfast for all of us, come on out and let’s eat together.”  
“Mmmm…” Doyoung mumbled and rested his head on Taeyong’s shoulder, attempting to wake up.  
“Come onnnnn Doyoungaaaaa.” He giggled and lightly pushed Doyoung off him.

Doyoung yawned as Taeyong stood. He got up from his bed and followed behind Taeyong into the kitchen. Johnny and Haechan were waiting, trying to contain the grumbles from their stomachs.

“Welcome to life again Doyounga, it’s been a few hours huh?” Haechan laughed.  
“Why are you so loud at night, huh? I couldn’t sleep…”  
“Ah don’t worry, I bought new headphones, so you won’t hear all the yelling tonight.” Haechan assured him.  
“Even I was up, and he’s usually good about gaming that late.” Johnny chirped, picking up his spoon.  
“Come on kids, let’s eat.” Taeyong smiled, enjoying the image of a family meal. It reminded him of his mother, his sister. He remembered the scent of clean sheets on Sunday mornings when he’d hear the laundry machine go off. Or the sound of Ruby’s paws against the smooth wooden floors as she’d run to wake him every morning. His fingers brushed against the small necklace of her.

“Oh my god Taeyong, this is delicious.” Johnny boasted.  
“As expected.” Haechan sipped some of his water.  
“Mmmm.” Doyoung slowly nibbled at the food, still half asleep at the table.

Taeyong smiled again, taking big bites. It was delicious and surpassed what he’d thought. He put a little more soy sauce on and mixed the egg with the rice and spinach. The green colour of the spinach brought him back to his dream. He shook his head, catching everyone’s attention.

“Something wrong?” Johnny asked.  
“No, no, I just remembered something.”  
“Oh ho ho.” Haechan smirked.  
“It’s… No stop thinking about those things.” Taeyong swatted towards him and blushed.  
“Can’t you get your head down from those clouds for once Haechannie?” Doyoung sighed and took a big bite.  
“Nuh uh, I can think whatever I wantttttt.”  
“Please just eat your food.” Doyoung grumbled, a little grin appearing on his lips.  
“Aw but—”  
“Listen, that’s enough,” Johnny stopped Haechan, sticking his spoon of rice into Haechan’s mouth. “You were saying Taeyong?”

“Ah, yeah…” He shifted in his seat, a little unsure of how to express what he’d dreamed of. He’d mentioned it before in passing but no one seemed to care. Well, it was more like he’d masked the truth a little, trying to sound a little more plausible. It felt like a childish realization…  
“Well, you know how I mentioned being a merman before?”  
“Yeah, it was cute.” Doyoung laughed.  
“Uh, so, I had another dream… But I wasn’t a merman… and I wasn’t one in the previous one either…”  
“Yeah, okay.” Haechan snorted, unsure if this was really serious or not. Johnny lightly smacked his arm.  
“Ah, well I actually was a fish. Like in the deep sea.” He looked at the spinach again, remembering the deep green hues and dark blues from his dream. He’d remembered his orange and yellow fins too.  
“Is it because of the fish tank?” Haechan asked.  
“I think so, I’d love to be in an animal’s body. It might be cool.” Taeyong tried to play off his thoughts, acting cool.  
“The fish would love you no matter what. They’d want to hang out with you.” Johnny replied.  
“Yeah…”

After breakfast ended with the awkward conversation, Taeyong couldn’t help but return to his room and stare at the tank for a while, enjoying the soft lights. Doyoung stepped into his room, calling someone he’d googled on his phone.

It was a few days later when Taeyong was practicing that Doyoung barged into the practice room. With a full backpack and a disguise, he rushed over to Taeyong. He didn’t say anything as he pulled Taeyong along, holding onto his wrist tightly.

“You not telling me where we’re going is making me scared, Doyounga…”  
“No, no, it’s a good thing. We’ll be there soon.” He got into one of the company cars and handed the address to the driver. It wasn’t 20 minutes later when they pulled up to a building with a water park.  
“Oh my gosh!” Taeyong’s eyes lit up, taking in the big splash and white font of the banner hanging from the building’s entrance. He smiled brightly. 

Doyoung led him inside to the receptionist, pulling out his information for a private session. She pointed to the hallway to the left and the two strolled down. Doyoung calmly walked as Taeyong tried to contain his excitement. Their masks did a good job of covering their identities, but Taeyong was worried people might approach while they were relaxing.

They appeared to be in a different area than the water park, and then Taeyong realized it wasn’t a water park, but an aquarium. He was eager to see the fish, just like his own at home. But they continued down these narrow halls.

“Ah here we are.” Doyoung matched the room number to the key card he was given, and they entered. Inside, there was a small change room with a bench and two lockers. Doyoung put the backpack down and opened it, pulling out his swimsuit. He handed over Taeyong’s.  
“What’s going on?” Taeyong asked, holding the suit to his chest in astonishment. His legs shook a little.  
“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you were okay with me snooping but I grabbed this one for you.” It was a wetsuit that he’d used a few times before. He nodded at Doyoung and turned, changing.

After they were both in their suits they went through the clear door into a room with a deep aquarium. Taeyong peered over the edge as he approached and saw a bunch of different creatures swimming. The aquarium spanned far, giving a lot of space for the creatures within it. A woman approached the two men, lugging three oxygen tanks on a trolley.

“Are you Doyoung?” She asked him.  
“Yeah, we’re here for the dive.”  
“Excellent.” She smiled.

She proceeded to explain all the safety measures to the men, telling them how to use the oxygen and what to do if they feel like they’re in danger. Taeyong was ready. Doyoung pushed him to go first, and he eagerly stepped towards the edge of the aquarium again. The lady helped him set the tank up. He pushed his goggles over his eyes and placed a nose plug on his nostrils. The lady entered the water, treading the water before grabbing the wall again. Taeyong sat on the cusp, dipping his feet into the water. He had flippers on to help him get by.

“Are you ready?” The lady asked. He nodded and shimmied into the water, keeping a grip on the wall as his body got accustomed to the temperature. The lady pointed down and dove. Taeyong looked at Doyoung, who was standing above him. “Go on!” Doyoung shooed him with his hands.

Nodding again, Taeyong turned back to the water and clenched his teeth as he went under. He kept his eyes on the floor as he slowly floated down. And when he looked ahead, he could see all the various fish. Pink ones, blue ones, ones that were flat and others that were round and fat. He slowly swam forward, trying to avoid getting too close. But he couldn’t stop the school of fish that swam right into and over him. He thought he felt them touch him, and as he turned his head to look he saw a little black fish hovering over his arm, where Ruby’s tattoo was.

The fish reminded him of Doyoung’s hair, like when they first met. When his black hair was longer, healthier. He smiled and treaded the water, focusing on the little fish. It even looked a bit like Doyoung’s eyes. He wanted to reach out and pet it, but he knew that was against the rules. Turning forward, he began to move slowly along the aquarium. The external world didn’t matter right now, only the little aquarium, and the endless fish that swam with him outside of his dreams.


End file.
